Official: EU monitoring of Romania for graft may soon end

BUCHAREST, Romania – A top EU official says Romania's government is committed to judicial and other reforms that would end a decade-long monitoring process of the EU member.

Frans Timmermans, European Union First Vice President and European Commissioner for the rule of law, said Thursday Romania is "in the final, final meters of this long marathon."

He said he is confident government projects will put Romania "on the right track" to conclude the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism implemented when Romania joined the bloc in 2007.

He said once monitoring ends, "full enjoyment of human rights and .... the rule of law ... will be irreversible."

However, he added that Romanians are "the best guarantor" of the anti-corruption fight, alluding to massive protests that erupted after the government in January moved to decriminalize official misconduct.